


Thorned Hearts

by lenfaz



Category: The Unlikeable Demon Hunter
Genre: Angst, F/M, the angst is real, when you love two side characters so much that you basically start a fandom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2019-03-15
Packaged: 2019-06-23 11:55:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15605742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lenfaz/pseuds/lenfaz
Summary: Well, when all goes down, you need a half-demon to save the day





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sambethe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sambethe/gifts).



It shouldn't be a surprise that they'd found her. Leo hadn't gone too far, and it wasn't long before Nava showed up, a beaten-up leather bag on her shoulder, an ancient witch trapped inside of her and tears in her eyes.

So here they were, in their pity party of two with gin and chocolate waffles, commiserating over the lack of third-party administered orgasms and obstinate Rashas. It wasn’t good but at least it was safe until Ari had barged into her room with Kane in tow.

Kane's features were blank as if he'd been just treated with the news of her nature and he was still processing it. There was a mix of pity and apprehension in his eyes and it was just about what Leo could take at the moment. The Brotherhood was getting on her last nerve with their brainwashing, first almost costing her two of the people she cared the most about in the world, followed by the best sex - and probably something more - she’d ever had. She wasn’t about to add more people to the list that refused to talk to her because of who she was.

Lifting her chin up, she treated Ari and Kane with the glaciest stare she could find. Kane could turn into glittery salty poison for all she cared, she would suck it out of him and throw it back to his face before he could blink. Just because she chose not to exercise her demon powers much, it didn’t mean she didn’t have them or didn’t know how to use them. She might be only a PD for them, but there were in for a run of their money if they thought she couldn’t fight back like the best demons out there.

Schooling her features to show she wasn’t afraid of them, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Ari, I have enough with one Rasha wanting to kill me. Did you really have to alert another one about me?”

Ari looked chagrined, his head lowering as a long exhale left him. He lifted his head, meeting her eyes again in an apologetic stare. “I'm sorry, I had no choice. There were extenuating circumstances.”

“The sex better had been worth you spilling the beans,” she bit out, not really giving a fuck. She kicked herself internally as she saw Ari’s wince and Kane’s nervous shifting. She didn’t want to be this person, the one lashing out at her friends - or the people she thought they were friends - but she was tired, horny and had to leave her entire life behind when she’d walked out of Nava’s room.

Ari kept looking at her, and a silent apology went back and forth between them before he finally spoke again, his voice barely a whisper. “It wasn't like that. Malik found us… he's still fuming over this entire thing, determined to know where Lily is and he’s taking things up a notch.”

“Or two,” Kane added in a low voice. It was only then than Leo realized how close they were standing, Kane hovering protectively over Ari, his hand resting on his lower back and his body half shielding him. Ari was all but leaning into Kane, as if he was pulling the strength from him. Whatever had happened, had been bad enough to snap these two out of their bullshit phase and finally bring them together.

“ _What_ did exactly happen?”

“It doesn’t matter, not now,” Ari quickly brushed aside, running a hand through his hair as if he were trying to find the words.

“Just tell her,” Kane murmured, exhaustion making his voice thick.

Ari nodded before meeting her eyes again, his eyes so wide that Leo’s blood ran cold. “It's Drio.”

Just what she needed. The one demon hunter she was sure would kill her to show up in her life again. “Please tell me the fucker didn't torture this location out of you.”

Ari took a few steps towards her. “Malik set out a horde of demons against us.” He took her hand in his, his voice breaking. “Leo, he's been poisoned.”

All the air was sucked out of her lungs. It couldn’t be. Not like this…

Her vision blurred out and she swayed on the spot, almost crashing to the floor. Ari caught her, his arms propping her up and holding her against him.

“Look, I - we know things between the two of you are strained.” There was a snort from Kane behind them and Ari sighed. “Ok, I know things are fucked up between the two of you, but nothing I’ve tried has worked and he has little time left…”

Kane met her eyes, his hand clasping Ari’s shoulder. “What twinslay here wants to say, is that you, Obi Wan-Goblin, are our only hope.”

Drio was dying. Drio, the guy that had fucked her into oblivion, made her laugh, and brought her a hand painted scarf from Rome before he threatened to kill her the next time he saw her. Drio, the guy that couldn’t cope with whom she really was.

The Demon Hunter she’d all but gone and fall for was dying. And she was the only one that could help him.

She took a deep breath as she pulled away from Ari and quickly tossed a few things on her bag, reaching to grab the scarf she hadn’t had the heart to part with. “That shadow portal thing better work fast, Katz. Because we don’t have any time to lose. Where’s Nava?”

“She’s on her way to Rohan already.”

“Good. Now take me to Drio.”

/-/

One thing was true, shadow portaling was an effective yet nauseating traveling method. Although Leo wasn’t sure if the nausea that was currently upsetting her stomach was the result of portaling or the Rasha protection wards she’d just trespassed thanks to Ari and Kane. She’d felt bad the last time she’d been here healing Nava, but this was ten times worse. But as she rushed into Drio’s room, she realized that part of the dread in her stomach had nothing to do with portals or wards.

It was the sight of him - lying on his bed, his olive skin dull and sickeningly pale, his blonde hair lusterless and his eyes closed as he squirmed in the bed - that made the bile rise to her mouth. Nava was next to him, holding his hand and trying very hard to do _something_ with her magic. But Leo knew it was a futile attempt. She could feel it in her bones, in the deep part of her that she’d always tried to keep at bay.

Rohan was pacing back and forth at the edge of the room, and Leo turned her eyes to him. “How long it’s been?”

Rohan’s head snap to her, his eyes red with lack of sleep and remorse. “Almost a day… we’ve tried every single trick in the book. But we are not able to identify the demon, so we can’t possibly know…” he trailed off, defeat in his voice.

All these Rashas, all these knowledge, and Drio was dying in a room that wasn’t even in his home city. Her eyes searched the place, the first time she’d been in his room. The tickets on the vanity caught her attention.

“Whitecaps tickets? What the fuck?”

“He was planning to take you. Before - before he found out -  he wanted to do something nice for you.”

Nava’s words sliced through her and Leo fought back tears. A Whitecaps game that none of them got to see and yet the tickets were still there.

“Get out. All of you. I need time alone with him.”

“Leo, the wards-” Nava started but she caught her off.

“We can’t take him outside the wards, we’d be prey to all the demons that are out there looking to kill all of you. Just - leave me alone, I’ll be fine.”

“You will not.” That was Ari coming into the room, but one look from her and he was backtracking. “Leo, this is dangerous….”

“You brought me here, Ari, now get everyone out of this room and let me handle it.”

Kane stepped in, exchanging a quick look with Ari as he went to get Rohan while Ari went to Nava. “Come on, let’s give her some space.”

“Leo, you don’t have to -” Rohan started but Leo was no longer hearing him, her steps taking her to the edge of the bed, her fingers moving a hair lock from Drio’s forehead.

“Drio…” It was all she was able to do before a tear spilled down her cheek and she quickly dried it with the back of her hand. This was no time for tears, this was time for action.

There was a soft click on the door, but Leo barely registered as her hand caressed Drio’s arm and she started to assess the situation with her magic.

The poison was deeply rooted, taking his blood and flesh and refusing to let go without a fight. It felt thick, like tar that had solidified and was impossible to remove. She needed to heat it, melt the poison until it was a thick and viscous grime that she could start pulling out of him, little by little. The task was strenuous in the best conditions and here, within the Rasha walls pressing her chest like lead, it felt impossible to accomplish.

But she knew she had to try. Leaning in, she pressed a soft kiss on his damp forehead. “Hang in there, caro. I’m on it.”


	2. Chapter 2

It was agony. Sheer and acute pain as she’d never felt before ran through her. The poison refused to let go, grappling on Drio’s blood and flesh. Everytime she was able to retreat it a couple of inches, it would gain back one. It was a draining task, made only worse by her diminished energy. Her head pounded and her arms felt heavy, but she would not yield. Not when his life was a stake. She would save him. 

Then he could go back to hating her and ignoring her… lost to grief and rage. Determined to kill every single demon out there until another one succeeded in delivering a fatal blow and she’d lose him again.

And she would go back to be alone. 

Pushing those grim thoughts out of her mind - she was seventy-percent sure they were the product of the wards fucking with her - she focused on retrieving the poison from him. Slowly, she could feel it climbing her arm, clawing into her skin, invading her own bloodstream. It was nothing but an annoying buzz, nothing but a mild sting. But the more she pulled it out of him, the more it grew into her, moving from an uncomfortable pinprick to a strong itch. 

It had to be the wards… she had felt something similar when she healed Nava, but it hasn’t gotten as bad as how she was feeling now. Sweat trickled down her neck and she moved her head to the side, commanding her muscles to loosen up, tightening all her energy into one task and one task only.

_ Save Drio.  _

The more her wariness grew, the more he seemed to improve. His skin was starting to lose that sickening paleness it had, and his movement seemed to lose that jerky quality and become smooth, as if he were starting to wake up from a terrible nightmare.

His eyes opened, haze and confusion in them, focusing on her. He opened his mouth in an attempt to speak, but she couldn’t bear to hear his words

“I know I’m the last person you’d like to see by your bed, but I need to hold still. I’m almost done…”

His eyes searched her face. “You’re really here.”

_ Where else would I be?  _

He closed his eyes, a deep breath coming out of his dried lips, his arm twitching at the side as she slowly kept moving the poison out of his body, channeling into that arm and bringing it into her by their joined fingers. Could he feel that they were holding hands? That she was touching him? Did he react to her skin as she reacted to his? 

He moved his head to the side, his eyes fluttering under his eyelids. “All this time I thought I was biding my time, killing as many demons I could until one finally took me out, and I’d be reunited with her.” His voice was hoarse, his face contorting in pain. “And I’d be finally free…”

Tears down her cheeks freely and she fought against the rackety sobs that were invading her. Each one of his words was like a stab to her guts, the pain as unbearable as the poison that now ran through her skin and she couldn’t seem to fight.

“Drio…”

His hand squeezed hers and he opened his eyes briefly. “But now I realize… I don’t want to die. Not now. Not when I finally met you.”

He seemed to lose all his energy and she rested her forehead to his, gathering the remaining of her magic and channeling it towards the poison.

“Drio, stay with me. Just a little longer, hang on just a little longer.” 

The poison was finally out of him and a deafening ringing filled her ears. The magic from the wards assaulted her and she had no energy left to fight it… with the last shred of her, Leonie peeled away the black tar on her skin. 

Her skin breathed again and she could feel the clean blood running through her veins. But she had nothing left… Fighting against nausea, she lifted her head in time to see Drio opening his eyes and focused on her.

“Leonie?” 

Her name on his lips was the last thing she heard before all became black. 


End file.
